Thai army insists Chong Sa-ngam casino raid used full firepower
Royal Thai Army says the Chong Sa-ngam casino strike used tanks, artillery and aircraft, insisting the target was heavily damaged inside.
- The Royal Thai Army is defending its operation against a casino in the Chong Sa-ngam border area, insisting it was a full-scale military action in response to questions that it was less intense than other raids.
- The army stated it used significant and continuous firepower, including over 50 rounds from tanks and artillery as well as aircraft, to destroy the operational base used by call-centre scam gangs.
- Officials explained that while targeted buildings may appear intact due to their reinforced concrete construction, their interiors sustained severe damage from the blasts and airstrikes.
- The operation was part of a planned campaign to neutralize threats to national security, and the army maintains it proceeded according to plan before a ceasefire was agreed upon.
The Royal Thai Army has clarified its operation against call-centre scam gangs in the Chong Sa-ngam border area of Si Sa Ket, insisting that strikes on a casino and opposing stronghold were carried out under a full military plan.
An army source explained on Monday (June 1) that every attack mission against the casino and the opposing side’s base had followed intense military tactics aimed at reducing hostile capabilities and protecting Thailand’s national security from emerging threats.
The clarification came after questions were raised over whether the operation against scammer and call-centre gang bases near the Chong Sa-ngam checkpoint had been less intense than actions in other border areas.
The army maintained that the operation was conducted in line with military tactics and target prioritisation, and denied that any area had been overlooked or left untouched.
During heightened tension along the border, forces in each area had to assess the level of threat and the intended outcome before allocating combat power to match the situation on the ground.
The priority was to strike and destroy key targets that posed the greatest threat to Thailand’s security first, before expanding operations to the next targets under the overall campaign plan.
For Chong Sa-ngam, which was among the key targets of the operation, the army insisted that although action there came later in the timeline before the ceasefire, everything proceeded according to plan.
The force responsible for the destruction mission at Chong Sa-ngam used continuous supporting fire against the target, including more than 50 rounds from tanks and artillery, as well as aircraft, to destroy the opposing side’s operational base.
The army insisted that a full range of weapons had been used intensively in the area as planned, as in other locations. However, it said the damage inside buildings and structures could not be assessed from outside because the area was under the control of the other side and could not be inspected directly.
An army source further explained that many of the targeted buildings, particularly the casino and other large structures, were built with strong reinforced concrete. While some buildings may still have appeared intact from the outside, the source said their interiors had been badly damaged by blast impact and airstrikes.
Several multi-storey buildings in the Chong Sa-ngam area were struck from above, alongside supporting fire from the ground, the source added.
“The area was being used as an operational base by the opposing side. After sustained attacks, the opposing side could no longer use it to launch attacks against our side as effectively as before,” the army source said.
The source added that this took place before a ceasefire was later agreed, and stressed that every operation had followed the planned military tactics, with combat effectiveness and national security treated as the main priorities.
